PHILIPPE DE KORODI
COLLÈGE CHAMPITTET & VIATALENTA GROUP
“Add personal chemistry as well as a bit of humour, and you have the recipe for moving sustainability projects.”
What motivated the school to choose “sustainability” as 2018-2019 theme?
Sustainability is real life, and real life must be part of school to better prepare our students to take charge of our world. A steady stream of conversations, ideas and projects have gathered into a powerful stream that made us decide to create the ”Year of Sustainability”. In fact, it is the first year of sustainability, as we intend to continue the initiatives going forward.
How have you integrated sustainability into the curriculum?
We have focused our STEAM projects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) on sustainability, in particularly working on sustainable transport and biofuels. In addition, our Nyon campus has continued to develop its organic garden and has applied foran Eco-School certification.
What has changed as a result of you sustainability efforts?
Food waste has been a long standing challenge for the school. As part of our sustainability efforts, we are making our students progressively aware of it and are transforming our food waste into fertilizer. Also, the students are creating projects that positively impact our daily lives. We aim to soon be a school without plastic cups and teachers have already started bringing their own mugs.
Why did you decide to partner with ViaTalenta Group for this project?
It was immediately clear to us that ViaTalenta and Collège Champittet shared values and a commitment to have a real impact on the school community. Add personal chemistry as well as a bit of humour, and you have the recipe for moving sustainability projects.
What has been the most challenging part?
Implementing sustainability requires a change in habits and mindset. Often, we encounter legal, structural and financial constraints. However, this does not prevent projects from going ahead, but just slow them down. Our objectives remain clear and we are committed to sustainability in the long-term.